We used to call her Ice (Chimere)

We used to call her “Ice”, Ice made the shows happen—she was so good in organising and putting together concerts and rallies that she became the go to for concert creations. Her concerts sold out In the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

A Typical example of an extrovert!!!—there was never a moment to yawn and sigh with her—she leaves you with eyebrows raised, you would be like; “what the hell?” “O my God!!” “ha ha hahaha”.



Born Chimere Chukwuka, the fifth child to Mrs Uzoamaka Chukuka (nee Nduka) an Accountant(retired) and Mr Samuel Chukuka who became a Reverend and later retired as a bishop of the Anglican Communion, Nigeria.  Both parents are from Nnobi,  Anambra state. Her love for music started with her mother, she says: “As a little child I developed a great love for Music, same for my siblings, my mum would sing endlessly to us as babies, she still does it with my nieces and nephews, great woman, wonderful voice! I remember her enthusiasm—how she would sing and dance with us, she could go on forever!! No wonder we sing as a family”. On how she learned to play the piano she told me: “I developed the love for piano in those days and thanks to my father a priest and a big lover of music, I had access to great music, I taught myself how to play the piano just by listening and following my musical instincts”.

It might interest you to know she also studied music at the University Of Nigeria, Nsukka. Throw into that mix: Actor, Director, Dancer, singer, Multi-instrumentalist and fun crazy!!!—then we would get a perfect picture of who Chimere is.

She co-produced a movie with Lorenzo

called “Sundown Tale” (yet to be released) she also acted in It. On how her new song "Hope For Tomorrow" came to be, she said: “since the day my friend Lorenzo had me perform that song on stage he fell in love with it right away, I did part of it live with my guitar in his movie 'Sundown tale', also we recorded it together. I am so happy he said yes when I asked him to duet with me".

Kacii Eleven: There is this feeling of arrival and also anxiety at the same time that comes with being in a recording studio for the first time, what was your first studio experience like?

Chimere: a friend had asked me to let him record one of my songs 'Fantasy' so I went to his studio—the atmosphere was friendly, we combined ideas and made good music (Lol). It was fun really.

Kacii Eleven: Your new song “Hope for Tomorrow” was released recently, the title leaves you expecting, but what would you want the listeners to hear when they listen to it?  

Chimere: In any situation— it might be sadness, pain and the feelings that come with hopelessness, it’s the light at the end of a tunnel we should look to—we should always remember there is hope for Tomorrow.

Kacii Eleven: Have you ever been in a hopeless or genuinely sad situation that got you wondering why it happened?

Chimere: That would be losing 8 of my friends the same day in a car crash. I was meant to be on that bus—they were going to my house... One of my friend whom I lost in the crash 'Praise Kay'--he always pushed me to record my songs and he said if I didn't he would record “'unconditional”—he loved it a lot. So after they passed on, I stopped procrastinating and started recording and yes I have recorded “Unconditional” it will be out soon.

Kacii Eleven: I know you love Beyonce!

Chimere: Beyonce tops it on the list of my favourite artist.

Kacii Eleven: When should we expect new music? 

Chimere: Currently working on some new material, I would say you should expect it soon.

Chimere is on twitter@Chimerechukuka